The company is aiming to introduce paid channel subscriptions this year, according to a story out today from AdAge.

Citing "multiple people familiar with the plans," AdAge reports that YouTube has already talked to a small selection of producers about developing channels that would require a fee. The first such channels would reportedly cost users between $1 and $5 a month, according to two of the sources.

The paid channels would likely be created by large media outfits, such as Machinima, Maker Studios, and Fullscreen, whose current channels have already drawn in YouTube users. But YouTube is also looking beyond its current roster of providers to find new producers.

Further, YouTube is eyeing a plan to charge for other items, including entire libraries of videos, live events, and even self-help or financial advice shows, AdAge said.

Slated to launch as early as next quarter, according to the sources, the paid channels would initially be seen as an experiment, with just 25 or so to start.

"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models," the representative said. "The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that."

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Journalist, software trainer, and Web developer Lance Whitney writes columns and reviews for CNET, Computer Shopper, Microsoft TechNet, and other technology sites. His first book, "Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time," was published by Wiley & Sons in November 2012.
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